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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  3. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  4. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  5. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Have you settled on a ________________?
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Have you met the new head ________________?
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. date — the fruit
  3. perch — for a bird
  4. branch — of a bank
  5. rule — to rule out
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. rule — government
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. charge — a price
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. date — on the calendar
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. perch — the fish
  15. coach — a trainer
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. charge — electricity
  18. rule — a law
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. charge — in control
  21. branch — a division
  22. cell — in biology
  23. coach — pulled by horses
  24. cell — a phone

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com